


Multiverse of a Sharpshooter

by deerna



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Canon, Angst, Artificial Intelligence, Body Horror, Body Paint, Character Study, Chronic Pain, Clones, Coma, Cunnilingus, Depression, Dom/sub, First Kiss, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Merperson Lance (Voltron), Missing Scene, Multi, PTSD, Polyamory, Sexual Content, Threesome - F/M/M, Trans Keith (Voltron), Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-23
Updated: 2017-09-02
Packaged: 2018-10-09 19:29:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 6,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10419600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deerna/pseuds/deerna
Summary: A collection of twenty triple drabbles (300 words each) exploring different layers of Lance McClain's personality.--- part 2 (chapters 11-20): shades of blue#001 Aquamarine | Meditation session gone too deep, right where Fear makes its nest.#002 Bubbles | Sharing a beach. From accidental voyeurism to addiction.#003 Denim | Allura tries Lance's jeans on. Lance likes how she looks in them.#004 Sea | Cont'd from part 1 drabble #007. Lances takes Shiro on that swim.#005 Night | Hunk & Lance’s bed is big enough for three. Keith needs a hand.#006 Eyes | Lance hates Fitness Friday. Hunk makes it less boring.#007 Petroleum | Growing attraction through body painting during a diplomatic mission.#008 Planet | Lotor prepares to conquer Earth, and Lance is forced to watch.#009 Blood | An interaction between the last prince of Altea and a member of the Blade.#010 Sapphire |  The thin line between a brat and an obedient boy.---The tags aren't meant for each of these drabbles; check the chapter notes.





	1. #001 Alien | Aliens!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm following two sets of prompts: [Sci-fi](http://somewhatclear.livejournal.com/38900.html) and [Colorful](http://somewhatclear.livejournal.com/39094.html), by the LJ community [10&lode”](http://diecielode.livejournal.com/)
> 
> See the whole serie of summaries [on my tumblr](http://somewhatclear.tumblr.com/masterpost2017).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #001 Alien | The first night in the Castle of Lions, waiting for the excitement to wear off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : none  
>  **Tags** : Missing Scene

If Lance had been a meme enthusiast (which definitely wasn't- okay maybe a little) he could've summarized it all with the phrase 'boy, that escalated quickly'.

How much time had passed since the last time he had actually slept? Lance didn't know.

More than 24 hours for sure. His body ached with the familiar fatigue he usually felt after pulling an all nighter, just worse, now that the adrenaline was starting to drop. He had been ready to pass out since Allura had showed each of them to their respective rooms, but his brain just couldn't stop working, incessantly rehashing the events of that long day.

If someone had told him that one of his many attempts to sneak out of the Garrison would've resulted in discovering that aliens existed, rescuing a legend of space travel, actually piloting a spaceship and meeting more real aliens, and being chosen to save the universe, Lance wouldn't have believed them.

Aside from the fact that it was completely science fiction, that couldn't be Lance's life. He was just a boy from Cuba; he had managed to enter Galaxy Garrison by sheer luck; he could upgrade from his cargo pilot class just because some guy had dropped out; he struggled with his classes, fighting to stay focused, pulling all nighters on Hunk's neater notes when his became frustrated chicken scratch, feeling like he didn't actually a grasp on the subjects he was being tested on, even when he did pass his exams.

It was hard to believe that he had been one of the people who got to be part of Voltron. He had been dreaming about aliens and exploring space since he was little. Now it was all real.

Lance luckily fell asleep before his mind could register how actually scary it sounded.


	2. #002 Spaceship | Homesickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #002 Spaceship | Homesickness, nightmares, helplessness, and a beacon for home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : none  
>  **Tags** : PTSD, depression

At some point, Lance stopped sleeping and started walking. The Castle was big enough that he could get lost in it, which helped taking his mind off the fact that he was so far from home that his mind could hardly conceive it. 

He liked exploring the dim passages, imagining how life went on in the unused rooms, abandoned ten thousands years before. It was a bit frightening at first, when he took the wrong turn and found himself in a foreign hallway, but Lance's curiosity was too strong to let disorientation dissuade him. 

Scarier was to find someone else stalking the halls; the other sleepless paladins haunted the halls at different times and pace, occupied in similar attempts to find relief from their own nightmares. He kept out of their way, checking on them from behind the corner. He quietly spied on their moments of silent, intimate despair, until his helplessness before their pain forced him to turn away with wet eyes and a heavy heart. 

Sometimes he would find a nice spot with a big window, and sit down to watch strange stars and nebulae, soaking in his homesickness until the knot in his throat threatened to choke him. He cried, as the celestial bodies blurred in his vision, until Blue's soft rumbling in the back of his mind interrupted him. 

She pushed him to stand up, and guided him by their psychic bond through the Castle. Lance followed the gentle humming like a starving man followed the scent of food, until he got to the hangar where the Lions rested, waiting for the next mission. 

Blue's bond always got warmer as soon as he got into her sight, and Lance couldn't help but smile. It wasn't like coming home, but it sure felt a lot like it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure that at some point each of the paladins will develop their own unique brand of PTSD; being a Voltron paladin must be pretty hard on the psyche, not only because combat but also because the bond with the lions has to affect them someway.


	3. #003 Clone | Numbers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #003 Clone | From seventh wheel to boss. Planning the escape. 
> 
> (please read the notes)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS DARKER THAN THE REST. EVERYTHING IS ONLY IMPLIED, BUT THERE'S DARK STUFF BEHIND THOSE IMPLICATIONS, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. More details in the notes below** 
> 
> I'm going to credit [this blog](hardlynotnever.tumblr.com) as source of inspiration :')
> 
> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : none  
>  **Tags** : canon AU, implied body horror, clonation, coma, chronic pain, implied minor character death, implied torture, implied experimentation on humans
> 
> This is a snippet / preview of a bigger project I’ve been plotting… I don’t know if I’ll ever write it but this is a start! Let me know if you're interested.

There are only six people in the room with him. There used to be so many of them. Not that Lance remembers them all; he's been asleep for a while, and even now he's more unconscious than not. He thinks that there were at least nineteen, though, because that's the name of the guy sleeping in the pod instead of him.

He spends most of the time laying down, trying to breath through the pain and the disorientation, gathering his strength; when it gets too much, Lance's mind goes back to the half-forgotten prayers of his childhood. He prays for the universe, for help, for the pain to recede; and he also prays for his family, for his team, and for Nineteen. 

Among the others, Nineteen is the one who looks more and less like him. He still has Lance's face (a luxury that somehow Seventeen didn't have- Lance doesn't know the details. He doesn't want them), but he's even less whole than Lance is. At least he looks at peace, asleep in the yellowish fluid inside the pod; Lance likes to think that he's dreaming of some distant beach, a place he remembers without having been there... 

"Stop looking at him, boss," Fifteen's voice comes behind him, a well rehearsed call. It makes Lance startle nevertheless, and he turns to glare at him. Fifteen just blinks; he has always had some problem with expressions, so he looks weirdly blank when he's not making an effort to have them. "I've got good news." 

Lance's heart stops. "Are they here?" The sound of his voice catches the attention of the others. Fifteen nods.

Second, Feef, Seven, Ten and Fifteen look at him, expectantly waiting for instructions; Nineteen's pod buzzes in the distance.

Lance swallows. "Okay, this is what we're gonna do." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few pointers
> 
>   * Lance was cloned at least nineteen times; he's always in pain because the Druids experimented on him a lot before cloning him; the clones were meant to be a substitute they could fall on in case Lance didn't make it. 
>   * The missing numbers are dead; some of them have been killed, some of them came into being 'stillborn' (like Nineteen) and some of them didn't make it because of the Druids' experimentation. 
>   * All Lance's clones have 'defects' to them, because the Druids weren't able to replicate his Quintessence (because of Blue!) to a tee; some of them didn't even _look_ like Lance. Fifteen is kind of ...blank. Feef has a hard time putting words together and has an adorable lisp. Lance II is a little smaller. Seven and Ten's differences are mostly internal, so they suffer from chronic pain. 
>   * _They_ are the paladins! Lance never stopped hoping they came in his rescue so he's been planning an escape plan with his new "brothers" for a long time :') It's supposed to have a happy ending. 
> 



	4. #004 Computer | Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #004 Computer | Death is a lot less funny when you're stuck in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was completely out of ideas for this one, so I remixed my AI! Lance deathfic (you can read the draft [here](http://somewhatclear.tumblr.com/post/156952418441/end-of-line) on my tumblr). I really can’t save this child from the angst.
> 
> **UPDATE!** Posted it on AO3 on 03/29, read it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10496220)!
> 
> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Lance & Pidge  
>  **Tags** : Missing Scene (of another work), implied character death, Artificial Intelligence, referenced coma

"This is going to sound really weird, but can I ask you a question?"

Pidge looked up from their laptop, eyes briefly unfocused behind the shiny lenses of their glasses before they zeroed on Lance's face. 

"Sure, shoot." 

"Have you ever seen Inception?"

Pidge scoffed, going back to their typing. "Who _hasn't_ seen Inception?"

"Keith." Lance laughed at Pidge's outraged expression. "But that's beside the point. You know when Cobbs and Ariadne are sitting at that cafè in the middle of Paris, and he's teaching her that dreams don't really have a beginning?"

"Yeah, so what?" 

Lance swallowed. "Is this a dream?"

Pidge froze. They suddenly looked afraid, which was alarming in itself, but what made Lance's stomach drop was the fact that they were trying to hide it. "W-why are you asking?"

"I don't remember how we got here. I thought I did, but I don't. I was trying to recall what I was doing before you came in to tinker with that thing, but- was Keith here?" He tried to remember what he and Keith had been doing, but all that he could think of was his mother's old scrapbook, and that just didn't make sense. Pidge didn't say anything to help him out, like they knew something but couldn't tell him. He was suddenly hit by a thought "Oh fuck, this isn't one of those coma dreams, is it?"

Pidge took off their glasses, and rubbed tiredly at their eyes. "No, you're not dreaming, Lance." They straightened their spine and squared their shoulders. "This- Your conscience was uploaded in the Castle's mainframe like- you know, king Alfor's."

"I am an _AI_?"

"Yes. You're dead, Lance. I'm sorry," they whispered.

Lance (was he _really_ Lance?) laughed, hollow and empty in his own ears. "It's not all that funny." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At this point 'Lance' is still 'manually activated' by whoever decides to interact with 'it', so I imagined that the holes in his memory could feel a bit like that. Also, Inception is one of my fave movies ever so if I can make a reference _I will_.
> 
> Oh yeah the scrapbook reference is not going to make sense if you haven't read the draft of the original- In a previous interaction, Lance instinctively projected his own house as a setting, and Keith walked in to find him flipping through an old scrapbook. Lance _remembers_ that, but cannot make sense of it because doesn't have the data.


	5. #005 Experiment | Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #005 Experiment | First kisses and bitterness. Oblivious teenagers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Keith/Lance  
>  **Tags** : First kiss, unrequited crush

“Are you ready?” Lance asked, scooting a little closer to Keith. The steps in the healing pods room weren’t the most comfortable place in the world, but Keith’s leg and hip were warm against his, and they were pressed together enough to give a feel of intimacy- or so Lance hoped. 

Keith nodded, even as he subtly tried to yank his hands from Lance’s grasp. He was so not ready; he looked like a cornered animal, muscles coiled tight and ready to spring. He kept looking around, as if looking for a way to flee, jaw clenching and unclenching. His nervousness would’ve been endearing in another scenario, but given how things were, Lance found it a little annoying.

He had been cleaning the healing pods for the hundredth time when Keith had shown up with that absurd request, and Lance had accepted only because he could use to have Keith owe him a favour. It had nothing to do with the crush that Lance had on him since their first days at the Garrison, feelings that Keith had never acknowledged, let alone reciprocated.

He had the right to feel annoyed at being used like a sexual sounding board by his oblivious crush.

Still, he huffed a laugh, rubbing his thumbs in little circles against Keith’s bony wrists. “Dude, relax, it’s just a kiss.”

“I’m- I’m not doing it on purpose,” Keith muttered, not looking at him.

“ _You_ asked me to do this,” Lance reminded him.

“I’m scared,” Keith blurted out in a hurried whisper, and Lance’s heart ached, annoyance gone in a blink. _Fucking hell_.

“I’ve got you. There’s nothing to be scared of,” he reassured him, letting his wrists go to cradle his tense jaw in his hands instead. 

“Breathe, Keith,” he said quietly, and then he kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What if I told you that Keith asked Lance to kiss him because he doesn't want to do a complete shit job when he tries to plant one on Shiro? :^) You're a rude little gremlin, Keith, but we love you anyway. 
> 
> Knowing me, if I ever explanded on this plot it would probably turn to shklance.


	6. #006 Mystery | Seen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #006 Mystery | Love and rivalry are both about being seen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : onesided Lance>Keith, onesided Keith>Shiro  
>  **Tags** : unrequited love
> 
> #1 of Klangst Week 2017: unrequited pining / unrequited love

Lance had tried to make friends with Keith. He really had tried.

Sure, every time he attempted to talk to him he ended up teasing him, and then they would bicker about it, but it still counted as a win in Lance's book. He thought they would've gotten closer, eventually; but as time passed Keith grew more and more defensive, and Lance's jabs became less and less playful.

Eventually, Lance said something, and Keith snapped; the bickering turned to screaming, and the screaming turned to punching. It got so bad that Shiro and Hunk had to separate them. Keith was dragged away by Shiro; Lance was stuck in the kitchen with Hunk.

“You know, maybe you should just tell him,” Hunk said, sitting next to him as Lance violently poked into his bowl of green goo with a spoon.

“Tell him _what_ ,” Lance mulishly feigned ignorance, staring at the amorphous substance. His mother would've thrown a slipper at him if she had caught him playing with his food. He squashed that train of thought before it set off the waterworks. Crying didn't look good on him.

Hunk didn't buy into it. “You _know_ what, Lance,” he said gently, taking away the bowl and stopping him from murdering the goo any further.

Lance slumped back in his seat, took a shaky breath and pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes. He'd been into Keith since the Garrison, and never made a mystery of it. He'd wanted to be seen, he'd wanted his respect, and then at some point he'd started wanting _more_. But Keith didn't even know who he was, and Keith didn't _care_ about him, because Keith cared only about one thing. One person.

“I can't tell him, Hunk,” he murmured, thinking of how Keith looked at Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The most tropey trope: everybody knows, but to Keith is a mystery.


	7. #007 Planet | Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #007 Planet | A tiny gesture of mindfulness in a sea of stress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:
> 
> **Relationships** : Shiro/Lance  
>  **Tags** : none

Answering to distress calls had become routine, when they weren't wormholing their way through space; there was a limit to everything though, and Lance's limit was the eleventh call _in a row_. The last two had come in at the same time, so Allura decided to split the team up. A dumb decision, if you asked Lance; they were going in _blind_ without knowing if they were going to need Voltron or not, and with no time to wait for help in case they did.

Luckily, it hadn't been the case; the Galra post stationed on that planet was weak and didn't expect an attack, so he and Shiro managed to get rid of it pretty quickly. It didn't mean that Lance was any less tired.

He took off his helmet with a groan, leaning against on Blue's paw to watch the strangely colored ocean, as Shiro dealt with whatever diplomatic nonsense. A rich smell of salt tickled Lance's nose, and as the tide rose, water started lapping at his boots, covering them in a thin layer of pale green sand with each wave. He couldn't feel the temperature through the thick material of the suit, but he wondered...

“Ready to go back?” 

Lance blinked and looked up at Shiro's voice. “Y-yeah. Yes.” He fought a yawn. “Man, I'm wiped. I want to sleep _forever_.”

“We'll get our rest,” Shiro promised with a smile, grasping his shoulder. “I would've gone for a swim, though,” he added, looking at the purple waves. “You know, take a break and everything.”

Lanced turned to stare at him. “Who are you, and what did you do to Shiro?”

Shiro laughed, sheepish. “Okay, maybe I just wanted to go swimming with you. I know you miss it.”

Lance's heart skipped a beat. “Yeah, I do.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write more about the alienness of the planet and the actual swim but eh. 300 words are really too few for that. Maybe next time.


	8. #008 Forty-Two | Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #008 Forty-two | A possible answer to the question "What Would Takashi Shirogane Do?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A convoluted reasoning behind the connection between the prompt and the story this time, haha. 
> 
> The true question is _where the hell is Shiro?_
> 
> **Relationships** : Hunk/Lance (pre-Hunk/Lance/Keith)  
>  **Tags** : post s2, Hurt/Comfort

When they got to the training deck, Keith was _still_ kicking that damn sack.

“Okay, this needs to stop,” Lance announced as he stepped in the room, Hunk hot on his heels.

Caught mid-kick, Keith startled badly, almost losing his balance. Lance felt smug for the grand total of half a second, before noticing how twitchy were his movements. He really looked like shit; his hair was more unkempt than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes. Lack of sleep was easy to detect on Keith; not as easy to fix.

It usually took Shiro to get him out of there, but that wasn't an option anymore.

“Come on, dude. You've been stuck in here for three days,” he told him, getting slowly closer. “Time to go.”

Lance fully expected him to put up a fight; he didn't. He just hung his head, his unbrushed bangs falling on his sweaty, pale face, and let Hunk guide him outside of the room. He limped a bit, fatigue finally catching on his muscles, but he didn't complain, not when Hunk put a gentle hand on the small of his back to support him and neither when Lance wrapped an arm around his waist on the other side.

He let himself being pushed under a shower, and let Lance fix his hair while Hunk medicated the worst of the cuts that he got during his non-stop, desperate training. He let them wrap him in a soft blanket, and didn't protest when Hunk pulled him on his lap, enveloping him in warmth, murmuring reassuring words against his skin, against his hair, until he finally fell asleep.

Lance curled up at the foot of the bed and watched them, feeling useless scared and relieved all at once. They were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really didn't want to set this post s2 but I needed a reason for Keith to be upset and my brain helpfully supplied the most painful option. So I went with it. I mostly wrote this to distract myself, so I apologize if it feels rougher than usual. 
> 
> I really want to write a true Primary Paladins fic one day, I feel like the dynamics between them would be really interesting.


	9. #009 Space | Comedy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #009 Space | Sometimes even princesses need space, but jesters will always cheer them up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Lance & Allura  
>  **Tags** : none

Lance knew that he had been laying his flirting on Allura a bit thick, but the truth was that he found her endlessly intimidating. Even after they found out that she could be considered their peer (minus the ten thousands year nap), he either swallowed his tongue or fed her a line whenever he talked with her. 

Though something about her screamed authority (and not only because she was literally a princess), and though Lance had learned to swallow every look-down that came from his superiors, his nerves caused the filter between brain and mouth to regularly broke in front of her, and he made an ass of himself. She just was so _intense_ , so put together at all times. Everything that Lance wasn't.

So the first thing that Lance felt, when she saw her sitting on the couch in the common room, bent over with her head cradled in her hands, looking exhausted and weary and so, so young, was fear. Because that bone deep fatigue didn't belong on Allura's royal frame. It was just _wrong_. 

He considered calling Shiro, but it was the middle of the night, and Shiro already got little sleep as it was. And everyone else was probably sleeping.

It was on him, then. He took a deep breath, and said the first thing that it came to his mind. 

"Hey princess! Oh damn, you look tense, do you want me to braid your hair? Not to brag, but I always managed to calm my sisters down like that, they swear I have magic braiding fingers..." he blurted, wriggling said fingers in her face when she looked up with a stunned expression.

Yeah, making an ass of himself was his specialty. The smile tugging at the corners of Allura's mouth was totally worth it, though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It wasn't really planned, but the title of this drabble ended up being a shout out to [TiedyedTrickster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiedyedTrickster/pseuds/TiedyedTrickster)'s fic [Masks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10139777/chapters/22749317), which is amazing and inspiring.


	10. #010 Technology | Videogames

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #010 Technology | Showing off, game talk and hoping for a brighter, normal life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was going to be much angstier (because apparently I'm made of angst), but then it turned out more bittersweet than I thought. 
> 
> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Lance & Pidge  
>  **Tags** : none

“You know what I really miss?” Pidge asked out of the blue, preparing to chuck another glob of goo at the makeshift target (a thrashed droid that wasn’t cleared off the floor for some reason) they and Lance had set up on the training deck.

Shiro would’ve probably been horrified at the waste of ‘food’, but that batch of goo was Hunk’s last failed experiment; it was supposed to be dough, but it was too sticky when raw, too rubbery when baked, and tasted like burnt plastic either way. It made a _very_ satisfying noise when it hit the wall, and didn’t leave a residue, so it was immediately repurposed by Lance as projectile material for the stickiest target shooting match. 

Only Pidge had took him up to it, but they were determined like hell. 

“No, what?” Lance asked them, watching them carefully taking aim and then make a _truly lousy attempt_ at centering the droid’s chest. He couldn’t help but snickering. “Nice shot.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Pidge muttered, shoving the bucket of stuff at him. 

“Sorry,” he laughed, balling up a bit of doughy stuff. “No, but really, what?” he repeated, tone softening. It wasn’t often that Pidge shared that kind of thing, trying to act tough. 

“Playing Mario Kart.” Lance burst in a chuckle, not expecting the answer. “Oh, man, _same_.” He took aim, and hit the droid smack in the face for the second time in a row.

Pidge whistled, despite themselves. “Shit, you’re good for real. I thought the first time was a fluke.”

“How _dare_ you,” Lance lamented, mock-offended. “I’m a sharpshooter!”

“Yeah, yeah, all right,” they dismissed him, then got quiet for a second. “We could organize a game night with everyone. You know, when we go back.”

Lance smiled. “It’s a date.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance, Pidge and Hunk spent nights back at the Garrison tearing each other's faces off playing Mario Kart, probably. There was supposed to be a part of dialogue with them reminiscing about it but ... did I mention I find the 300 words limit very frustrating sometimes???
> 
> A challenge is a challenge though.
> 
> Speaking of which- This is the last Sci-Fi themed prompt! From next time we're going to write about shades of blue. Stay tuned.


	11. #001 Aquamarine | Depths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #001 Aquamarine | Meditation session gone too deep, right where Fear makes its nest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "As a stone of symmetries, [aquamarine] is conducive for meditation and revelation, a stone of prophets, shamans, healers, and mystics. It also allows us to explore the darkest depths of our souls, face to face with ourselves, and with others." ([x](https://www.crystalvaults.com/crystal-encyclopedia/aquamarine))
> 
> \---  
> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : none  
>  **Tags** : Implied/Referenced Character Death, but not really.

Deep breaths. Breathe in, breathe out.

There was a crash, pain blooming in his abdomen, and then Lance was home. 

He blinked. He was sitting at his usual spot in his mother’s kitchen, left hand loosely wrapped around his favourite mug (white, the old NASA logo barely visible after years and years of use) and the right cradling his cellphone. From the other side of the house, he could hear Lena talking loudly with Lance’s brother as they made plans to pick up the kids from school; Artie and Ginny’s steps boomed as they bounded down the stairs, playfully racing each others to the door.

He blinked again, and the kitchen was gone. He was standing in the middle of his living room, and it was quiet, like it never had been before. Lance’s mug was on the shelf, next to an unfamiliar framed picture of himself. He wore his fighter pilot uniform and his best smile; Hunk’s arm looped around his waist, but his friend had been cropped out. 

He blinked away tears, and the first breath of stale air told him that he was back on the Castle of Lions. He was afraid to open his eyes. Was he dead? What was he going to see? But only Blue stood in front of him, tall and familiar, bubbled in her shield. His lungs collapsed with relief as he reached out to touch her, knowing that whatever it was happening she was going to help him; but the barrier didn’t dissolve. 

“Let’s go,” he heard Shiro’s voice behind him, but when he turned to follow, Lance’s feet were stuck to the ground, and when he tried to speak, to tell his teammates to wait for him, his voice didn’t work. 

He panicked, and he woke up, drenched in sweat. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( The rest of the team is right there to help him ground himself. And since they were mind-melding during the meditation session _they know_ why Lance is so upset. 
> 
> He's afraid of dying. He's afraid that one day he's gonna wake up to find that he never really got into the Garrison, that Voltron doesn't exist, and all he got from his dreams of travelling through space was an old mug. He's afraid that his family will move on. He's afraid to be abandoned by Blue and his team. )
> 
> Finally onto the other set of prompts! I have many interesting ideas for the next 9 triple drabbles. Sexy ideas. Polyamorous ideas. I'll probably bump the rating up a bit starting from the next 'chapter'.


	12. #002 Bubbles | Caught

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #002 Bubbles | Sharing a beach. From accidental voyeurism to addiction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy MerMay! 
> 
> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Keith/Shiro, pre Keith/Lance/Shiro  
>  **Tags** : merperson Lance, voyeurism, beach sex

Merfolk were known to be territorial people, but Lance didn’t mind to share his beach. 

To be honest, he didn’t have many visitors. The few human who knew how to reach the secluded strip of sand that was Lance’s home were respectful and discreet, so he let them be, preferring to spend his time hunting and swimming.

Since _they_ had started to come to his beach though… Lance was a bit embarrassed to admit how long he spent peeking out of the water, hoping for them to come a little earlier than usual. 

He hadn’t meant to spy on them, not at first. They showed up one day before the sunrise, filling the air with soft laughter; they were a handsome couple in love, Lance thought, when he checked on them like he usually did with new visitors. 

He’d gone back in the deep, minding his own business, until a strange, pained noise had reached his ears. Alarmed, he’d swum full speed to the surface, ready to help- but as another moan escaped the smaller human’s lips, Lance realized that his help wasn’t needed. 

Sounds of _pleasure_ as raw as pain came from both men as they mated against a rock a few yards away, and Lance couldn’t help but _watch_ , arousal washing over him like the tide. He waited until they both reached their climaxes and hid back under the surface, touching himself. 

It became a habit. They always came around that hour, every seven sunrises, and Lance would watch them mate, before slipping away to take care of himself, embarrassment and shame and _loneliness_ swallowing him whole as he did. 

It was just a bit of fun, until the human with the white streak in his hair, just before he came into his mate, winked straight at Lance. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Lance is not in danger. Shiro is merely trying to get him to join them ;)


	13. #003 Denim | Fabric

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #003 Denim | Allura tries Lance's jeans on. Lance likes how she looks in them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Allura/Lance  
>  **Tags** : none

Being a princess who lived in a castle had its perks. A bigger room with a bigger, comfier bed, a more luxurious bathroom, with a giant tub and a more varied selection of body wash, moisturizers ad shampoos. 

Lance was definitely enjoying _that_ side of their relationship.

He was still a bit bummed that Allura had declined the offer to bathe together, but Lance knew that she was right; they both knew that, since Lance couldn’t keep his hands to himself when he had her so close, a bath was never _just_ a bath. And it wasn’t like they hadn’t had enough time together; the team’s day off was their appointed slot for dates, and Lance had even spent the night, which was technically against the rules. They couldn’t afford to indulge themselves even more than they already did. 

Allura had insisted he took a bath by himself because it did wonders for his knotted muscles, but he had missed her; he loved running his hands through her hair and down her back as they kissed in the warm water... 

Lance sighed, watching the water drain from the tub. Maybe next time. 

He walked back in the room, toweling himself off, ready to get dressed, kiss Allura goodbye and go to training, and- stopped.

Because Allura was looking at herself in the mirror, wearing Lance’s jeans and nothing else. She hadn’t apparently managed to fit them around her hips, because she had left them unbuttoned. Lance’s mouth felt dry. 

“They look much more comfortable when you wear them,” she complained, turning around.

“If we had the same size, they would be. Earth fabric doesn’t adapt to the body like Altean stuff does,” Lance explained, eyes trained to the pants. “You still look good in them.” 

Allura smirked. “Why, Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually never thought about Allura and Lance being involved romantically before writing this drabble, but writing things outside of my comfort/interest zone usually helps me get rid of writer's blocks. 
> 
> I ended up enjoying this a lot :)


	14. #004 Sea | Naked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #004 Sea | Cont’d from part 1 drabble #007. Lance takes Shiro on that swim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : pre Shiro/Lance  
>  **Tags** : hinted PTSD, nudity, skinny dipping

Shiro looked really good against the lavender sky, the deep purple ocean. He was tall and gorgeous, and as always he looked like he was barely keeping himself together; tension ran through his body at all times, and though Shiro was good at concealing it, Lance had also gotten used to notice the way his jaw clenched through his smile.

Lance looked at the sea, back to Shiro, and then he got up from Blue’s paw.

The first things to go were the vambraces and the thigh guards. 

Shiro’s eyes widened in surprise. “Uh. What are you doing?” he asked, as Lance’s chest piece was dropped in the sand. 

“I’m taking you up for that swim,” Lance said, making quick work of the rest of his armour. He raised his eyebrows at Shiro until he started taking off his own protections, before reaching back to unzip his flight suit and pushing it off his shoulders. The salty breeze felt delicious against his skin.

“I thought you said you were tired?”

“I am. But I’m never too tired to swim.” He hesitated for a moment before ditching his underwear as well. It was more practical that way, since they couldn’t wait for them to dry, and after all, what was a bit of nudity between teammates? 

He glanced back at Shiro at the right time to discover that he had had the same idea, and swallowed hard. The scarring from his space gladiator days was pretty bad, but even with it Shiro was all hard, clean lines. “Come on, let’s go.” He pointed at a rock he could see in the distance. “Last one to the rock gets to tell Allura why we’re late,” he yelled, before sprinting away and diving into the water.

Shiro swore behind him, and Lance laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As expected, Shiro is a powerful swimmer, but Lance is quicker anyway ;)
> 
> I HAD THE HARDEST TIME WRITING THIS FIC. Those of you who follow me on twitter know.


	15. #005 Night | Haven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #005 Night | Hunk & Lance’s bed is big enough for three. Keith needs a hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : established Hunk/Lance, Hunk/Lance/Keith, Keith/Lance  
>  **Tags** : Trans! Keith, sexual content (Lance brings off Keith with his hands, no fingering nor penetration)

Sleeping in the same bed as Hunk was in equal parts comfortable (because Hunk) and uncomfortable (because _Hunk_ ), but Lance made it work. Spooning helped saving space.

Things were harder on the nights Keith decided to get in bed with them. Like that night.

Lance woke up as soon as the blanket was lifted up, and wheezed when the boy all but pushed himself against his stomach, curling up under his chin without a word. “Hey, K’th,” he mumbled, blindly pulling him closer with the arm he didn’t keep shoved under the pillow. He felt the tension in his back, and started scratching between Keith’s shoulder blades. “Wha’s wrong, couldn’t sleep?” 

Lance felt him shake his head no against his ribs, tug on his arm until he could grab his wrist, and then push Lance’s palm against his groin. _Ah._ So that was the problem. 

“You said I could-,” Keith whispered, almost too quiet for Lance to hear, cutting himself off. 

Lance tried to blink himself more awake. “Yeah. Yeah, no, you did good, good job, Keith,” he praised him, rubbing a bit up into his crotch. He could feel the dampness through the fabric. Keith bucked up into the touch with a low groan. 

Hunk nuzzled his neck, disturbed by the voices. “Wha’s goin’ on?” 

“Nothing, Keith’s horny and needs a bit of help, that’s all. Go back to sleep.”

“Oh. Want help?” 

“Nah, we’re good.” 

Lance gently pulled his hand out of Keith’s grasp, and slipped it in his shorts. Keith was wetter than usual, and he let out a breathy moan as soon as Lance’s fingers started rubbing against him. 

A few moments later he was coming, hands twisted in Lance’s shirt and face buried in his neck. 

Lance pulled him closer, kissed him, and fell back asleep. 


	16. #006 Eyes | Flexing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #006 Eyes | Lance hates Fitness Friday. Hunk makes it less boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Hunk/Lance  
>  **Tags** : none

“I’m just saying,” Lance whined, dangling his legs from the bench. “I know we’re the defenders of the universe or something, but like- instead of doing all this stuff we could take the day off? And I know what you’re thinking,” he dropped his voice, pushing his fringe back to simulate a headband, “‘but Lance, if we take the day off it’s basically begging for trouble! We would get so many distress calls! That’s the opposite of a vacation.’”

Hunk huffed a laugh half-rep at that. “I do not sound like that.” 

“Whatever. I mean, is all this training _really_ necessary, Hunk? I don’t think so.” 

“Yes, it is, and you know it. You’re just complaining because you hate individual training day.” 

“I do!” Lance yelled, throwing his hands in the air. “It’s so _boring!_ I hate running laps. And lifting weights. And all the rest.” At least when they were against the bots they were focused. It wasn’t exactly fun, especially because by the end of it they were paladin-shaped bruises, but at least it wasn’t as tedious as doing push-ups by themselves. 

“Come on,” Hunk said, putting down the weight he had been handling until now. He sat on the bench beside Lance and laid a hand on his shoulder, thumb tracing soothing circles on his neck. “I’ll help you with sit-ups. I’ll even count them for you. Trying to make it less boring.”

Grumbling, Lance stretched out on the bench. Hunk’s strong hands wrapped around his ankles, stabilizing him as he tensed for the first rep. 

“One,” he breathed out, sitting up- and kept breathing out. Because Hunk had taken off his shirt and the view was- really nice. 

Hunk smirked at him. “Liking it better?”

Lance licked his lips. “I could get used to this.” 


	17. #007 Petroleum | Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #007 Petroleum | Growing attraction through body painting during a diplomatic mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Pairing** : pre Shiro/Lance  
>  **Tags that apply** : body paint

It was hard to keep his breathing regular, to keep from leaning into Shiro's touch as his hands caressed his skin, but Lance was managing, more or less. He kept his eyes trained on the strange carvings on the wall before him, and refused to enjoy the way Shiro's fingers traced deep, smooth lines in the small of his back; but his mind kept wandering.

He kept picturing Shiro digging his thumbs in his spine, working the knots of tension in his back until pleasured moans spilled from Lance's lips, about Shiro biting and kissing his neck, and-

And Lance really needed to stop, before he embarrassed himself.

"Are you okay?" Shiro asked, oblivious. "I felt you tense up."

"Uh, sorry," Lance mumbled. "Ticklish."

"Oh! Sorry," Shiro apologized, "you warned me about that! I guess I got too absorbed- I can see why the Thakesi use it as a meditation technique, it's pretty relaxing."

Lance smiled. He was happy that Shiro was having fun. He always looked so sad, when he thought nobody was looking; and the rest of the time he was busy being the closest thing to a commanding officer they had, even though he really wasn't supposed to be.

"How's it coming? Thinking of pursuing a career in art after this, Shirogane?" Lance teased.

"You say that because you can't see this disaster," Shiro laughed. "It's really not that good."

Lance tsked. "Nonsense, I'm sure it's gorgeous, especially because you have me as a canvas."

Shiro chuckled, but he sounded distracted. Probably immersed in painting once again. Lance smiled. It was cute.

"Maybe we could do this again," Shiro mumbled on. "Your skin feels very nice. It's really as soft as it looks."

Lance's heart skipped a beat at the compliment. "I'd like that," he answered, quietly. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thakesi use body painting as a form of meditation and spiritual connection. Most of their prayers aren't spelled out loud, but are coded in patterns and colors.


	18. #008 Planet | Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #008 Planet | Lotor prepares to conquer Earth, and Lance is forced to watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Lotor/Lance  
>  **Tags** : implied non-con (as in, Lance isn't willing to be with Lotor, nothing sexual is depicted in any way), implied body horror, angst

“Your planet is very beautiful, especially from here,” Lotor murmured. “Such a vibrant color! All that blue. It reminds me of your eyes, Lance,” he cooed, raking his long claws through Lance’s hair, a mindless gesture that he’d been repeating over and over, in a mockery of affection.

Lance closed his eyes. He’d been dreaming of coming home since forever, and now that he had Earth in front of his eyes he would’ve given anything for their ship to be anywhere else but there. 

He willed, not for the first time, for everything to be a bad dream: Voltron hadn’t been defeated, and Lance knew exactly where his friends were, and how they were; his broken body wasn’t being paraded around like a limp marionette by Lotor, and he wasn’t being kept at his feet at all times like the universe’s most pathetic pet; Lotor’s warship wasn’t half a warp away from the planet that Lance had left in order to defend it from the very same threat that he had failed to keep away. Lance was going to wake up any minute now, and he would’ve been in his bunk on the Castle, not in Lotor’s bed. Pidge and Keith were going to tease him because he was late for breakfast again; Shiro would smile at their antics, though he’d had a rough night as well. 

It was very hard to concentrate when he could feel the hard floor under his butt, Lotor’s bony knee and the hard edge of his boot against his side, and his sharp claws against his scalp. 

“Aren’t you happy, Lance? I’m taking you home. I very much look forward to meet your family.” 

Hot tears rolled down Lance’s cheeks. He willed, not for the first time, for everything to be a bad dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I completely failed to complete either fluff!Shance and Shangst week, but I cannot skip on the Langst. Hi, did you miss me?


	19. #009 Blood | The Prince and the Warrior

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #009 Blood | An interaction between the last prince of Altea and a member of the Blade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Lance & Keith  
>  **Tags** : mention of genocide, altean!Lance, galra/BoM!Keith

“So, you’re not fully Galran, are you?”

Keith almost missed the training dummy he was hitting. He turned to stare at the Altean perched on a nearby exercise bench, but prince Lance looked lost in thought, eyes unfocused in the distance, as if whatever came out of his mouth hadn’t been planned at all, and completely missed his baffled look. 

“That’s- that’s not something you’re supposed to ask,” he managed to bite out, before kicking the dummy in the chin, chest, groin once again. 

Finally aware of how inappropriate he had been, Lance flinched and spluttered, a flush staining his dark skin. 

“I didn’t- I’m really sorry! I was just thinking out loud and it slipped out!”

“It’s fine.” Keith shrugged. “I’m used to it, I know I don’t look Galran.” He was slight, and short, and his fur was just a fine, velvety buzz. His ears were too small, his nose was pointy and dry, his claws brittle and blunt. Even his blood seemed different, thin and coppery instead of thick and dark. 

“You almost look Altean,” Lance mumbled. 

Keith stopped again. “My father was from a planet called Earth. I don’t know much about him.” He hesitated, uncertain on why he was telling him these things in the first place. “My mother never described what he looked like, but I’m sure he wasn’t an Altean.” 

“Right,” Lance stammered, then deflated. “That would have not been possible.”

Keith swallowed. Lance was a prince, but he didn’t look regal right then. He looked small and frail, his narrow shoulders drooping under the weight of despair and loneliness, and there was nothing that Keith could say that would bring him comfort. 

With a tight knot in his throat, Keith turned his back to the prince and went back to his training. 


	20. #010 Sapphire | Undisciplined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #010 Sapphire | The thin line between a brat and an obedient boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags that apply to this chapter:  
>  **Relationships** : Allura/Lance/Shiro  
>  **Tags** : threesome, polyamory, D/s dynamics, mention of cunnilingus.
> 
> Traditionally, the sapphire is associated with the planet Saturn, and with structure and discipline.
> 
> Many thanks to lovely Mar aka [pensversusswords](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pensversusswords/pseuds/pensversusswords) who read this and other of these drabbles over to assure I didn't make an ass of myself :****

Contrary to popular belief, Lance wasn’t undisciplined.

Authority had a weird pull on him; as much as he enjoyed doing his own thing, he didn’t mind following orders, or respecting his superiors. He didn’t have a problem with completing a list of assigned tasks and reporting it to someone who ranked higher than him. 

That’s how things worked at the Garrison, and Lance was _fine_ with it.

What usually got him in trouble was how he _got about_ doing the thing. Because he always thought of some way to do it better, or faster, or in a more entertaining way, and it almost never occurred to him that _maybe_ he was supposed to _just do it_ as he had been told. 

It wasn’t his fault. He _was_ obedient, but he couldn’t shut his brain off and tell it to behave. 

It annoyed Allura endlessly. 

Lance had been working his mouth on her when she suddenly grasped at his hair, pulling until he was looking up at her flushed face. “You’re touching yourself,” she accused him even as she panted, close to her climax. “Did I say you could?”

 _Shit_. Lance let go of his dick as if it had burned him. He wanted to say that he hadn’t been doing it on purpose, but he wasn’t going to talk back to her when she had such a firm grip on his hair. His stomach was tying itself in knots from the guilt. 

Shiro barked an amused laugh from behind him. “I was wondering when you’d catch him doing it.” 

“You could’ve stopped him.” 

“I kind of like it when he goes off like that,” he admitted, pulling Lance out of her grasp and into his lap, hands caressing his tensed belly. “He’s completely relaxed when he’s acting like a brat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's a wrap! 
> 
> It was a fun if frustrating challenge, but I am glad it's finally complete. 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who stayed with this project until the end! Double thanks to all those who left a comment and/or a kudos!

**Author's Note:**

> Read inedit snippets on my [writing tumblr](http://somewhatclear.tumblr.com) or say hi on [my main!](http://deerna.tumblr.com) You can also chat me up on [twitter](http://twitter.com/somewhatclear).


End file.
